Synthesizing the best current thinking about learning, course design, and promoting student achievement, this is a guide to developing college instruction that has clear purpose, is well integrated into the curriculum, and improves student learning in predictable and measurable ways.

The process involves developing a transparent course blueprint, focused on a limited number of key concepts and ideas, related tasks, and corresponding performance criteria; as well as on frequent practice opportunities, and early identification of potential learning barriers.

Idea-based Learning takes as its point of departure the big conceptual ideas of a discipline that give structure and unity to a course and even to the curriculum, as opposed to a focus on content that can lead to teaching sequences of loosely-related topics; and aligns with notions of student-centered and outcomes-based learning environments.

Adopting a backwards design model, it begins with three parallel processes: first, identifying the material that is crucial for conceptual understanding; second, articulating a clear rationale for how to choose learning outcomes based on student needs and intellectual readiness; and finally, aligning the learning outcomes with the instructional requirements of the authentic performance tasks.

The resulting syllabi ensure cohesion between sections of the same course as well as between courses within a whole curriculum, assuring the progressive development of students’ skills and knowledge.

Key elements of IBL include:
* Helping students see the big picture
* Building courses around one or more authentic performance tasks that illuminate the core concepts of the discipline
* Clearly identifying performance criteria for all tasks
* Incorporating practice in the competencies that are deemed important for students’ success
* By placing the onus of learning on the student, liberating faculty to take on the role of learning coaches
* Designing tasks that help students unlearn simplistic ideas and replace them with improved understandings

Edmund Hansen expertly guides the reader through the steps of the process, providing examples along the way, and concluding with a sample course design document and syllabus that illustrate the principles he propounds.

Table of Contents:

1) Practical Benefits of Course Design
Faculty stressors in teaching
Benefits from idea-based course design

2) Backward Design
Traditional course design
Critique of the traditional design
The Backward Design Model
The importance of course design

3) Learning Outcomes
Problems with (conceptualizing) Learning Outcomes
Identifying Big Ideas
Deriving Enduring Understandings
Determining Learning Outcomes

4) Critical Thinking
Significance of critical thinking
Lay definitions of critical thinking
The confusing state of the critical thinking literature
Need for teaching critical thinking
Barrier 1: Human development
Barrier 2: Habits of mind
Barrier 3: Misconceptions
Barrier 4: Complex reasoning
Conclusion

5) Content, Part 1: Guiding Questions and Concepts
Topics
Two parts of course content
Essential Questions
Guiding concepts
Course content and critical thinking

6) Assessment, Part 1: Educative Assessment
Assessment for grading
Assessment for learning
A continuum of assessments
Assessment as coaching
Principles of assessing for understanding

7) Assessment, Part 2: Rubrics
Examples of assignments lacking clear criteria
The main parts of a rubric
Sample rubric: Critical Thinking
Common misunderstandings about rubrics
The triple function of rubrics for:

8) Content, Part 2: Learning Experiences
Examples of poor assignments
Authentic performance tasks
Assignment-centered instruction
Assignment-related competencies
Building-block designs
Principles for designing effective learning experiences

9) Course Design Document
Why create course design documents?
Elements of the course design document
Sample Design Document: Psychology 624 - Theories of Motivation
Summary of course design features and benefits
Translating the Course Design Document into a Syllabus

10) Implementing Course Design with Online Technology
Key characteristics of online teaching
Course design elements enhanced by online technology
Conclusion

References
Appendix
Syllabus for Theories of Motivation course